Control Your Sprinkler System From Your Couch

Sprinkler systems used to water lawns are notoriously wasteful, which isn’t good because fresh water isn’t exactly an inexhaustible resource. Now, some will say lawns themselves are inexcusably wasteful when it comes to water, and, well, yeah. But if you have a lawn and want to keep it green while making sure less of the water you’re using is serving no purpose at all, check out Iro.

Rachio has made the Iro Smart Sprinkler Controller, a box that is designed to replace your old, apparently very dumb, sprinkler control box. They’re dumb enough that, collectively, they waste about 3.9 billion gallons of water every day, which is an insane number. Iro connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network and is controlled by an iOS or Android app. You’ll be able to set a schedule based on your location and the soil type in your lawn. That schedule can adapt to changing weather, too, making sure that in all conditions, as little water as possible is used to keep lawns healthy.

Installation might be a little tricky – you’re literally ripping out your old control box and replacing it with Iro – but if you’re keen on wasting less water, it’ll be worth it. That’s doubly true if you’re in an area where you pay for water based on how much you use. The iOS and Android app are both available now for free, and the iOS app uses Apple’s new HomeKit API, so there will probably be Siri integration once you get iOS 8 this fall. Iro itself is available online and at Home Depot for $250.